Sponge mop



J1me 15, 1965 E. D. ZELINSKI ETAL 3,188,676

' SPONGE MOP Filed Feb. 20, 1963 71, M B 24 7.5 INVENTOR$,I '15 fan/4E0 0. ZEl/IVSK/ STANLEYJTOM/A/Vk ATTORNEYS structed from relatively heavy metals. heavy metal backing plate is employed, in addition to inplate upon drying, due to shrinkage.

United States Patent 3,188,676 v SPONGE MOP Edward D. Zelinslri, Worth, and Stanley Stomiany, Hazel Crest, :Ill., assignors to The Drackett Company, a corjporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 259,831 1 Claim. (Cl. -244) This invention relates to sponge mops comprising a support element and a replaceable sponge element attached thereto. More particularly, the invention embraces mops of the above type wherein the sponge element "is free to move laterally, permitting expansion and conthe support element by means of screws and wing bolts.

In construction, the sponge element comprises a sponge block secured to a metal plate which extends substantially from one end to the other of the sponge block and is fixedly secured by means of cement or other suitable adhesive. The metal plate contains screws which are en- -gaged in holes in the backing plate of a support element and fixedly secured thereto by means of wing bolts. As

is apparent, there is no freedom of movement of the sponge element in relation to the support element.

Although such mops have been enthusiastically received by the housewife in preference to the more conventional string type mop, one problem encountered with such mops is the contraction of the sponge block upon drying, causing the backing plate to warp unless the backing plate is con- However, if a creasing the cost of the assembly, the sponge block has a tendency to tear at its points of attachment to the backing Moreover, attachment of the sponge element to the support element by means of screws and wing bolts is relatively expensive and invariably requires tools for replacement since, oftentimes,

the screw threads become damaged or rusty upon contacting water, causing ditficulty of removal.

As a partial solution to the problem of contraction of the sponge element and consequent damage to the backing plate or the sponge block, Richards et al. US. Patent No. 2,663,042 suggests a self-adjusting mop head which permits the sponge block to expand and contract freely. The patentee proposes the construction of a mopping element comprising an absorbent pad which is secured to age and expansion during use.

, Although the Richards et al. patent, in some respects,

' is a step ahead, it is not completely practical and has not been adopted by the art as is apparent from later issued patents and failure of the product to be marketed, despite "ice the passage of a number ofyears. The structure is expensive to construct containing only one less component than the earlier mops and, additionally, requires an intermediate slide plate whichis fixedly secured to the backing plate. As is apparent, the difiiculty of disengaging and replacing the sponge element'is increased. Moreover, by using a modified screw and wing bolt arrangement, there is a possibility that the slotted opening will become fouled due to dirt or rust, substantially reducing the freedom of lateral movement which is desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide an improved mop design wherein the sponge element is not fixedly secured to the mop element at any point, permitting lateral movement of the sponge, but which still holds the sponge element in proper alignment during operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mop of the above-described type which possesses a minimum number of components, permitting low cost and simplified construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mop of the above-described type eliminating projecting points or fasteners, permitting more convenient and attractive packaging.

It is still a further object of the instant invention to provide a mop of the above-described type which eliminates screw and wing bolt assembly, precluding the possibility of stripping of threads "or rusting of the threaded port1ons.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a mop of the above-described type which permits the attachment of the sponge element without use of screws and wing bolts, permitting quick interchangeability of sponge elements without need of tools.

These and other objects will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description with particular emphasis being placed upon the drawings.

In general, the objects of the instant invention are accomplished by constructing a mop employing a sponge element comprising adaptor plates fixedly attached by suitable means to a sponge block. The adaptor plates have a slot for receiving a tab which preferably is formed integrally with the backing plate of the support element. By employing the design of the present invention, the sponge block is held firmly permitting mopping, waxing or similar household operations, but still allows freedom of lateral movement to compensate for expansion and contraction. The design permits a minimum number of parts, providing for rapid replace-ment of the sponge element without need of tools.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the specification:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mop assembly in accordance with the present invention with the mop handle being illustrated fragmentarily in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the sponge element of the mop assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a section through the assembledmop structure taken on a plane designated by the line 33 in FIGURE 1 showing the mode of attachment of the sponge element onto the support element of the mop; and

- means 13, carried by the adapter plates .11.

means to sponge block and thereafter fabric 12 is firmly anchored to sponge block 10, superimposed on adaptor plates 11. 'The support element 2 is composed of backing thev adaptor plate 11 can be provided with a punched helical impression 16, as shown in FIGURE 4, to receive screw 28 which passes through opening 29 on the backing 7, plate to anchor the sponge element to the support element. As is apparent, thisrnodified structure does not possessthe freedom of'lateral movement of the design acplate 21, optionally presser element22 and socket 23 which receives a handle shown fragmentarily in brokenglines. I

,Since components of the support element, other than the backing plate, are not critical to the instant invention, only the backing plate will be considered in detail.

Each adaptor plate 11, as seen most clearly in I URES 1 and 4, comprises a metal platewhich is firmly,

anchored to sponge block 10. Each platehas slot 13 which preferably is constructed integrally withthe plate defined by raised portions 14. *Advantageously, the lead-1 ing edge of the raised portions 14 are" rounded or tapered .to facilitate engagement of the .slot with tabs 24 which are preferably-formed integrally with backing plate '21, V In construction, the tabs 24 can be stamped from backing plate 21 in a single operation, forming an integral unit. I

Sponge element 1 is attached to support element 2 as shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, the sponge element is fastened cording to the instant invention,,however, it permits the utilization of sponge element 1 in the prior art mops, as

shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,014,230, which may still be in service. I

Asis apparent, the present type of construction, in addition to allowing for lateral movement compensating for expansion and shrinking due to wetting and drying of the sponge, permits the housewife toattach and detach the sponge element to and from-the metal head of themop withouLneed'of tools. 'iThus, the sponge element can be slipped on or off quickly, permitting the use of more than one sponge element'on the same support element for different operations. For-example, the housewife can use ,one sponge element for washingfloors'and, thereafter,

I ,replace the element witha second sponge element and use .the assembly for waxing without loosening numerous screws. Thequick interchangeability of sponge elements is a desired advantage. Moreover, since. the construction enables theuse of a" minimumnumber of parts, with the parts preferably being stampedfrorn, and forming an 'ini tegralpart ofthe backingand adaptor plates, a substantial by engaging first slot 13 with tab 24 on oneend of the backing plate andtherea'fter the sponge block is bent or flexed for engagement of the second slot and tab. In FIG- URE 3, the backing plate is formed-witha depressedmarginal flange 26 surrounding the relatively raised main body of .theplate and connected theretobyua; depending marginal shoulder 25, portions of which are in longitudinal alignment with the slidefmeansor tabs 24 at the;

relatively remoteor outer ends thereof to function asstops for limiting the lateral. outward movement of the slide This feature eliminates the possibility that the sponge element will become disengagediduring operation and allows only the desiredamountiof free lateral movement.

It may be necessary to wet the sponge element to'obtain the necessary flexibility for attachment to the support element.

It willbe readily apparent that the projecting ledges of raislide means, these ledges being thus also function as slide ways or slide means on the backing plate 21.whereby toreplaceably support the pad or sponge 10 from the mop; Obviously, in order to as- I raised portions 14-; Y 14 of each adapter plate constitute. oppositely laterally semble the pad 10 to the'backing plate 21 the flexible midportion of the pad 10 between .the'relatively longitudinally spaced adapter plates 11-,-11Iis flexed downwardly or away from. the backing plate'while the opposite ends of Y the pad'10'bearing the respective slide means 14 are compressed toward each other to be brought into alignment prevented, except to an immaterialextent, by abutment of which, as above mentioned, acts as a As a modification of ithe device shown in FIGURE 1,

reduction in manufacturing costs is obtained. 7

, As a further feature, thesuppo'rt element possesses a clean ling-eliminatingprojections from the structure as in the case of a support element using wing bolts and screw heads, thereby lessening the possibility. of marring or damaging surfaces when the mop accidentally bumps furniture or is used under low furniture, Elimination of projecting points or fasteners also permits more convenient packaging inasmuch as the upper surface of the sponge element will be much flatter allowing better and more compact packaging in shipping cartons.

As is apparent,.the possibility of tearing the wrapping material is reduced, providing a better appearance at the point of purchase. Finally, the slot arrangement, together with positioning of the sponge attachment plates during manufacturing assembly, gives more complete control in alignment-of the sponge elemenbwith the support element. These areonly some of the features which are inherent in the described structures. p I

Itv should be appreciated that while'various embodim'ents of this invention have been; described, the invention is ,not1restrictedthereto. I 'Modifications will be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the scope of the appended claim. a ,What is claimed isz j v A mop comprising anelongated flexible absorbentpad having a normally flat upperrsurface co-extensive in length therewith, rigid adapter plates alfixed on said surface in relatively longitudinally spacedrelation, a rigid elongated backing plate having apair ofjrelatively longitudinally spaced and aligned slide means carried thereby adjacent the opposite ends of .saidplate, each said slide means comprising laterally projecting ledges spaced below and in a common "planeparallel to the plate, means on said backing plate defining stops adjacent the relatively remote outer endszof said slide means and in longitudinal: alignment' therewith, a pair' of similarly spaced slide means 1 aflixed to the respective adapter plates, each -such lastmentioned slide, means including laterally projecting ledges 1 in a common plane spaced above and parallel to the said surface of the pad and longitudinally slidably supported one of the slide means 13 with a relatively aligned portion I of the shoulder 25 beneath said backing plate on the respective ledges of said first-mentioned slide means, the mid-portion of said pad between said adapter platesbeing freeffor flexing toward and away from said backing plate whereby to permitwithdrawal of the last-mentioned slide means through the rela- .tively adjacent inner ends of said first-mentioned slide means, said slide means of both the adapter plates and 2,967,317 the backing plate being formed integrally with said plates 3,031,705 by tabs struck out from the respective plates, said ledges 3,050,761 of one pair of slide means being laterally outwardly 3 103 02 directed, and said ledges of the other said pair of slide 5 means being laterally inwardly directed.

1,284,940 References Cited by the Examiner 793,981 UNITED STATES PATENTS 601,303

r 2,632,192 3/53 Mallory 15-2444 X 1 2,677,837 5/54 Channel 15-244 X 1/61 Richards 15--244 X 5/62 Herman et al 15--244 X 8/62 Morgan 15119.1 9/63 Richards 15244 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 62 France. 4/58 Great Britain. 1/ 60 Italy.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

